Had a wonderful last day in Florence! Started our day with a trip to the market to buy ingredients for a dinner in our apartment- homemade ravioli, porcini mushrooms for the sauce, and salad fixings- yes, I do love markets!

Our museum fix for the day was the Museo del Bargello- it is to sculpture what the Uffizi is to painting– just spectacular! A few of Michelangelo’s best early pieces, two of Donatello’s Davids, and much more… all this housed in a fabulous 13th century palazzo.

Baccus- an early Michelangelo piece- just 21 when he sculpted it.

One of Donatello’s Davids… beautiful…

Three generations and seven sculptors in the Della Robbia family… very interesting glazed terra cotta pieces…

Okay… I couldn’t resist putting this one in the post… Keith and I sat down to rest and there right in front of us were these tight buns… somehow looking at the sculpture from our resting position gave us a new perspective 😀😀

Ponte Vecchio with dark storm clouds- although the storm went around Florence.

A little bit of cultural observation and enjoyment of “everydayness”. This man has a wonderful woodworking workshop in the open air courtyard that our apartment looks out on. He has been deconstructing old crates and other things- I have really enjoyed watching him from afar. He makes me smile!

The dinner result of our morning shopping…

We ended our day with a wonderful concert of great arias. We have so much to be grateful for!

Travelled today to Pistoia on the first day of our time with the tour group. Pistoia is a beautiful small city with very few tourists. The square is amazing – from the 12th century. And the Duomo has a relic of St. James- Pistoia was a stop on the pilgrims’ trail from Rome to Santiago de Compostela along the el Camino.

Miles upon miles of tree nurseries around Pistoia. They export the trees all around the world- quite amazing nurseries with all types of trees!

The Duoma and tower- in an incredible Piazza with children riding bikes and wedding parties!

In the Duoma with the relic of St. James. This cricifixion painting is dated to 1250.

Keith relaxing in Pistoia. We had a wonderful group dinner in Pistoia outside, under the Duomo tower. Perfect!